


Becoming Whole

by masterthief



Series: Redemption and Rebirth [3]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Gen, Post-Mass Effect 3
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-22
Updated: 2014-04-01
Packaged: 2018-01-09 14:57:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1147343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/masterthief/pseuds/masterthief
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Commander Jennifer Shepard was presumed dead after destroying the Reapers. Her body was never found, assumed lost in the midst of debris from the battle. The truth is much more grim. Still breathing, she is “rescued” by a group of clones whose purpose, unbeknownst to her, is to destroy all she holds dear and take over her life. Because she has no memory of anything before waking up, she unwittingly becomes a pawn in her own destruction.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Typical disclaimer of not owning the characters goes here.
> 
> A sequel of sorts to [Finding Shepard](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1036723). Takes place during and after (mostly).

She felt like death, but Shepard knew she had to press on. The fate of the galaxy rested on her shoulders. She suffered through broken bones and the pain and marched forward, gun aimed at the device in front of her. _If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll destroy the Reapers._

For her, it was never a choice. No ghostlike figure was going to convince her otherwise. Anderson had died with the same goal, and Shepard couldn’t let him down. Slowly, but surely, she reached the power conduit and began to fire her heavy pistol into it. A bright red light filled her vision before everything went black.

_I did it._

Relief washed over her as she let the darkness take her. The last thing she saw was Kaidan’s face before everything went black. _See you on the other side, Major._

**TWELVE HOURS LATER…**

A red-haired woman, clad in light armor, walked through the wreckage of the Citadel underbelly. Her mission was simple. While the fleets were distracted from the victory against the Reapers, piecing themselves together, she and her partner were to try and locate Shepard. It was unlikely they would have another opportunity such as this.

“We don’t even know if she’s alive,” came a voice in her ear. Tango, who was exploring an area nearby.

“No, but the boss wants her body, for whatever reason. We _need_ her memories. Or at least, Sierra does,” she replied.

“I know, Echo,” Tango replied.

“Let me know if you find anything.”

Echo disconnected and continued her path down a dark hallway, which was littered with bodies and debris. At the end of it, she came across an open area and immediately caught sight of a body. _Older male. Alliance._ She moved carefully to inspect the body, fingers gripping a silver chain and inspecting the metal tags at the end. _Admiral David Anderson, according to these._ Not far away, she spotted another. Red hair, just like her. She glided over to the body to get a closer look.

“Tell the boss I found something,” she said into her comm unit. “I think it’s Shepard.”

“He’s already listening.”

Echo said nothing, otherwise occupied looking over the body, checking for signs of life. As soon as she touched the woman’s neck to test for a pulse, a gasp came from her, and Echo could tell she was still breathing. Closer inspection of the woman’s bruised face made Echo feel as if she was staring into a mirror. _We truly look just like her. Well, minus the wounds._

“Echo? Report,” Tango called out after a moment of silence.

“It’s her, I’m certain,” said Echo.

“Good,” said a third, male voice. “Secure her and get back to the shuttle before the Alliance finds you.”

“Roger. Echo out.”

**A MONTH LATER...**

They’d taken Shepard, who Echo still couldn’t believe had survived, to their ship just outside the Sol system. The Alliance was too occupied with relief efforts to notice their presence. For now, at least.

She had spent the past month working to heal the commander’s injuries, working day in and day out to nurse her back to health. There was a joke in aiding the woman she was made to heal, at least through use of her limbs and organs, but there was no time for jokes. Not with her boss counting on her.

When he had made his presence known, out of the blue, it had taken Echo for a loop. Usually, Tango was the one asking for a status update on his behalf.

“How’s our patient?”

“Comatose,” said Echo to the man, name and appearance unknown to Echo, face hidden in the shadows. “But stable. She could wake up at any time, or we can prevent her from doing so until we need her.”

“Keep her alive, don’t wake her,” the man ordered. “The galaxy is in ruins. There’s much to do before we can use her.”

“Sir, there was some trauma to her brain, likely from an explosion,” Echo said, sounding worried. “I am not sure if her memories -”

“Are intact? I can work around that.”

Without another word, the man disappeared completely, leaving Echo to her work. She was unsure of how they could move forward without Shepard’s memories being completely intact, but she was not dumb enough to question her boss. That line of thinking tended to get her kind killed.

**PRESENT DAY**

“I just received word from November’s second-in-command on Omega, sir,” Tango said over her comm unit. “November has been killed. Lawson and Alenko are not dead or captured as we’d hoped, Vakarian is rumored to have been involved, but we cannot seem to locate any of them.”

There was a hint of anger in the man’s voice when he replied, “We’ll find them. India is on Illium, send her after T’Soni, tell her to find out what she knows and then kill her.”

“Yes, sir. What about Shepard?”

“I think it’s time to wake her up. Put her in a cell, so we can monitor her, see what she remembers. Once we know enough, Sierra will take over from there. You and Echo will report to her. Destroy all files before you leave.”

“Yes, sir. Tango out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to [drellassassin](http://archiveofourown.org/users/drellassassin/pseuds/drellassassin), love of my life, for looking over this one. Before we go further with Miranda and Kaidan's story, we wanted to dive more into what happened to Shepard (if you didn't catch it in [Chapter 16](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1036723/chapters/2310282) of [Finding Shepard](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1036723), she is alive). [drellassassin](http://archiveofourown.org/users/drellassassin/pseuds/drellassassin) will be writing a prequel of sorts of Kaidan.


	2. Awakening

Her eyes open to a dark room. She slowly sits up in the bed she’s in, unsure of where she is, throwing the blanket off to the side in the process. It takes a minute for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, but she can soon see a lamp on the table beside of her. She looks around for a switch, but then she remembers lamps don’t have those, not anymore.

She touches the base of the lamp, and the room illuminates, barely. A faint yellow light fills the room. Her eyes move around small area, which is noticeably bare. Other than the bed, the table and the lamp, she spots a desk and chair on the other side of the room. And then, she sees what must be herself, reflected in a mirror opposite the bed.

She tilts her head to the side, and the reflection moves with her. Long, unkempt red hair falls over her shoulder, and there are circles underneath her green eyes.

Slowly, she stands and moves closer to examine what feels like a new face. It’s only then that she realizes she has no idea who she is. Her face is unfamiliar to her.

She touches the mirror when it’s in arms length, and then moves her hand to her face, trailing a finger over her cheekbone. She looks tired, and there are faint scars covering her face. She lifts a hand to touch one.

_I don’t remember where this came from_ , she thinks to herself, and her brow furrows in confusion.

She moves around the room, cautiously, looking for any signs that might tell her who she is. Or better yet, _where_ she is.

Nothing.

There are two doors. She opens the first one to find a small bathroom, complete with toilet, shower and sink. It’s not an exit.

So, she attempts to open the other door. The electronic lock flashes red. No good.

It was then that the fear kicked in. _Who am I? What’s going on?_ The questions repeated in her head for a while, and eventually, she found herself leaning against the back of the door, collapsing against it.

With nothing else to do, her eyes drift closed, and she falls asleep against the door.

The only visual she can see in her mind is faint. A massive creature - a ship? - no, a _Reaper_ , she remembers.

_It’s descending to the ground, a laser is firing, and explosions are going off all around her, and she turns back to see his face._

_And then he falls._

_She runs to him_

_He protests as she carries him back to the ship, a blur of a person helping her._

_She says her goodbyes, tells him that she loves him, and he returns the sentiment._

_”I love you, too. Be careful.”_

_And then she’s gone, running toward certain death._

Her eyes open.

She remembers nothing after that and nothing else at all. Her mind is blank, but somehow, that memory, if that’s what it was, made it through.

She has no idea what it means, but she knows that whoever she saw, he must be important.

_Then again, maybe it was just a dream._

*************

Time passes slowly. Thrice a day, someone slides a plate of food onto her desk through a surface in the wall.

She spends a lot of time trying to figure out how to open it from her end, but it’s no use.

She speaks through the hole, screaming out, asking for someone, anyone, to tell her what’s going on.

Eventually, the fear numbs, and she’s a shell. Eating, sleeping and pacing the room just to give herself something to do. She finds a pencil in the desk and begins to mark the days since she woke up, to give her some way to measure time.

Her mind constantly flashes back to the man she saw in her dreams. So far, nothing else has come to her.

She pictures him in her mind every time she falls asleep. There’s a flicker of hope that this man is real, that he might be out there, looking for her.

It’s the one thing that keeps her from wanting to die.

*************

A week goes by. Nothing. No contact, no word. Only the trays of food and replenished toiletries. How she never sees the person taking care of these items is beyond her.

 _At least they care enough to keep me alive. That must mean I’m valuable._ , she eventually determines, and that gives her another flicker of hope.

The seventh day goes by just as the previous six did. It’s not until she goes to sleep that everything changes.

_She sees raven hair and blue eyes looking back at her, a confident expression on her face. She is talking, but there is no sound to be heard, only the movement of lips._

It was a flash, so quick, and then the woman is gone. It was as if she wasn’t there, as if she was imagined.

Maybe her memory is coming back. Seeing something else other than the man she so desperately hopes will rescue her is a step forward, but she still can’t be certain if any of her visions are real.

*************

Another few days pass. She never sees the raven-haired woman again. She begins to forget about her.

She sits at her desk, tapping on the surface, trying to will herself to remember. Something, anything. Nothing comes.

And then she hears the unmistakable sound of a door opening.

Her attention immediately shifts to the door, and someone walks through. No, _she_ walks through.

The only difference is the red hair barely reaches her shoulders. Well, that and she’s cleaner. And wearing what looks to be armor. Black armor with a red stripe on the right shoulder. Something on the chest plate. A designation or an affiliation, perhaps.

_N7_. It means nothing to her, but it feels like it should.

“Hello, Jennifer,” the woman says, using _her_ voice, and a name - her name, perhaps, but it doesn’t feel like hers.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Commander Shepard, and I’m here to rescue you.”

“But you -”

“Look like you?” she finishes. “I know. You’re a clone, one of dozens. You have no memory of who you are?”

“No.”

The woman, _Shepard_ , smiles, appearing almost cruel.


	3. Answers

True to her word, Commander Shepard took Jennifer away from her prison, and they boarded a ship. It was full of a crew dressed in blue armor, and Shepard explained that it was an Alliance vessel and that she would be safe here.

She took Jennifer to a private bedroom on the crew deck and leaned against a nearby desk once they were inside. “This is yours. Now, I’m sure you have a lot of questions. Sit, I’ll explain what I can.”

Jennifer moved across the room and sat down on the bed. It was much softer than the one in her prison. She looked up at the commander expectantly, waiting for the answers she so desperately needed.

The commander explained everything. Her history, which was impressive. How she had nearly died saving the universe from the Reapers Jennifer had seen in her dreams, the dreams filled with that face, _that man_. She explained that everyone thought she was dead, that it had happened before a long time ago. The fact that she was alive was top secret. There were clones of her, at least a dozen, all over the Milky Way, trying to cause havoc and hurt her friends.

“So, there’s a group out there, call themselves the Cerberus,” the commander started. “They’ve made a bunch of clones of me, and you’re one of them. Most of the others were given basic memories, likely from my military records; luckily the bastards couldn’t get their hands on the important things, the things that make me _more_ than them. They’re targeting my friends, and we have to stop them.”

“W - _we_?”

“Yes. They made you to be me, remember?” the woman said, and Jennifer nodded slowly, still uncertain. “With a little training, you can handle yourself.”

Jennifer nodded, and a silence fell between them. The thoughts of what she’d seen in her dreams pushed their way to the surface, and she _needed_ to know if they were real.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Shoot.”

“I’ve been having these dreams. Of a man. He has brown eyes, black hair, and we’re running toward one of those… Reapers, you mentioned. Is that real?”

The soldier’s facial expression turned blank, and Jennifer sensed hesitation in her voice. “No, I doubt it. Not for you, at least.”

“I saw a woman, too. Long, dark hair and blue eyes. A suit that melded to her curves. She was beautiful. How can I be seeing such vivid things if I’ve never been awake before that room?”

“I’d say your brain is trying to make memories where there aren’t any. Try not think about them, okay?”

Jennifer nodded, though she had a feeling the woman who had rescued her was hiding something. She kept quiet. The woman had saved her when she easily could have killed her because she was a threat. But Jennifer wasn’t a threat. She was helpless. She was nothing, not even a real person. The person who she was made to impersonate was standing right in front of her.

“Listen, you rest. I’ll be back in a few hours. I have to check in with HQ.”

As the commander walked away, Jennifer’s thoughts drifted back to that man. _He’s real. I know it. I can see him perfectly in my mind._

****

*******

The door closed behind her, and she stormed toward the communications terminal, immediately calling her boss.

“What is it, Sierra?” said a male voice.

“Shepard is having dreams,” the clone, nicknamed Sierra by the voice at the other end of the line, started with irritation in her voice. “About Alenko and Lawson, I think. The one about Alenko, it sounds like it’s from Earth, from _London_. She couldn’t know that, not if she were another one of me. _This is the real Shepard, sir._ ”

“Excellent. You know what to do. Keep lying to her, let her think she’s another clone, and get her to trust you. When the time is right, you’ll send her after her old friends. They need to be eliminated so no one can question that you’re really her. What better way than to have Shepard lead them to their own demises.”

The clone nodded. “Understood. I plan on targeting T’soni first. She has too many resources.”

“India is on Illium tracking T’Soni. Focus on Alenko. He was romantically involved with her, as was Miranda Lawson. They’re your biggest threats, especially if she’s remembering them. After what happened on Omega, they’re going to seek answers, likely with T’Soni. Meet up with India, work with her to take the three of them down. Tread carefully, Sierra. _I don’t accept failure._ ”

“I know how to do my job.”

“I don’t doubt it. There’s a reason I gave you a ship.”

****

*******

Not long after the commander left, Jennifer had fallen asleep on her new bed. Her dreams were filled with flashes of the nameless man’s face, of the commander’s words that none of it was real.

To Jennifer, it was real.

How could it not be if her visions were so vivid? She could see every detail of his beautiful face, the love in his eyes as his gaze met hers, but why couldn’t she see anything else?

Maybe the commander was right. She was made in a lab, built from someone else. Was she seeing something Shepard had seen? Had that been why she’d left in such a hurry?

Jennifer couldn’t be certain, but she knew she couldn’t stop herself from seeing him in her sleep. In fact, she didn’t want to.

The sound of her door opening startled her awake, and she looked up to meet the commander’s gaze.

“We need you,” Shepard commanded. “One of you has been murdered by a horrible person called the Shadow Broker, or at least one of her agents. We have received word she and her two most trusted will be on Illium, which is where we’re headed.”

“But I’m not ready for combat, am I?” Jennifer asked, nervous.

“You will be. Come on, let’s get you some gear.”


	4. India

India didn’t care for Illium. She had been stationed on the planet for months, tasked with leading a group disguised as Eclipse mercenaries. The group’s goal was to keep an eye on one Liara T’Soni, _The Shadow Broker_ . She didn’t look like the fiercest information broker in the galaxy.

Looks could be deceiving. She knew that better than anyone.

She was disguised to avoid drawing attention to herself. Everyone in the galaxy knew her face, _Shepard’s_ face. The savior of the Citadel, hero of the fucking galaxy. 

For months, her routine had been the same. It involved a lot of surveillance, at least on her team’s behalf. Most of her time was spent supervising, directing orders as she received them from the clone she reported to.

All she really knew was that T’Soni was a threat, and that their plans for Sierra would be jeopardized if she uncovered anything about her sisters. Every day, after her mercs reported back to her, she reported the same thing to Tango, that T’Soni hadn’t discovered anything.

Three weeks ago, that had changed, when she was contacted by her best operative.

_“Boss, she knows about Omega, about November. We think T’Loak may have had a hand in tipping her off."_

_On one hand, India was furious, but, on the other, it gave her something to do. After weeks of the mundane, something was happening, and the odds she would be tasked with killing T’Soni were in her favor._

_She smiled. “What else?”_

_”She’s contacted Lawson, ma’am, the former Cerberus operative, and ordered her to recruit Kaidan to investigate._

_”Thank you. I’ll handle things from here. Keep an eye on her._

Alerting November had done no good, as she had still managed to get herself killed. Lawson and Alenko had both been in her custody, but somehow, she’d been overpowered. She had been told it was a minor setback and that everything was in order.

November had been careless. She’d gotten complacent and lazy, allowed someone into her group that she shouldn’t have, and it had ultimately gotten her killed. India knew each of her group inside and out, had done background checks and everything else. This had been done again after hearing of her sister clone’s fate. _I’m not taking any chances._

With the knowledge that their agent on Omega had been taken out of the equation and that it was largely due to one Liara T’Soni, her orders were clear even before she heard them.

“Find out what else she knows, and then kill her.”

“With pleasure.”

****

*******

Getting Liara’s attention had been easy enough. Less than five minutes she’d been sitting at Eternity’s bar with no disguise and no armor, chatting up the bartender and pretending not to have a care in the world, and someone was clearing their throat behind her.

“Excuse me?” called a young asari. Without turning around, India knew it wasn’t T’Soni. _She’s not that stupid._

“Can I help you?” India replied, throwing all of the politeness she could into the statement. To get close to T’Soni, she was going to have to pretend to be something she wasn’t, to appear clueless and lost so that she might appeal to the asari’s obvious hope the real Commander Shepard was still out there.

Of course, Shepard was still alive, at least that’s what she’d heard from Echo, but T’Soni didn’t need to know that. _That’s one secret we managed to keep, at least._

“Yes, ma’am,” the asari, likely one of Liara’s assistants, said, nodding her head toward the VIP area. “My boss would like to talk to you. What’s your name?”

“You can call me Jane,” India said. Her guise was that she didn’t know who she was. Going by Shepard’s real name would be a dead giveaway. She’d thought long and hard about how to handle this, and she was confident Liara would fall right into her trap.

“Yes, Jane. Could you follow me, please?”

India nodded and left her drink on the bar, limbs tingling with excitement that she played off as nerves as she considered how the next few minutes might unfold. She would lay a sob story on T’Soni, appeal to her emotions and get her alone. Once she was sure she had the advantage, it would be easy to take her by surprise and knock her out before she knew what hit her. _And that’s when the fun begins…_

****

*******

Just as she had planned, pretending to have no memory had appealed to T’Soni’s hope that Commander Shepard was still alive. It hadn’t taken more than a few minutes to convince her, which truly surprised India. She would have expected the Shadow Broker to be more cautious about a stranger, especially with the knowledge of clones that she appeared to already have.

India wasn’t about to point that out. No, she would play along until the right moment and rid her team of one of their biggest threats. _Hell, maybe they’ll realize I’m much better suited for this than Sierra is._

Liara sat on the sofa opposite from India, eyes narrowed and a concerned frown on her face. It was difficult to refrain from rolling her eyes. Emotions were a weakness, and they were about to get the asari killed.

“How did you find your way to Illium?”

“I… woke up here, actually,” India lied and offered a weak smile. “I am not sure why, but maybe I was meant to find you.”

Her words made Liara smile. “Maybe you were. There are people I should contact… you have no idea how many people are looking for you.”

“What, am I some kind a celebrity or something?”

Liara laughed. “You have no idea. Come on, let’s get you somewhere safe. Not all of the people looking for you have _good intentions_.”

When the asari’s back was turned to her, India’s smile grew wide. _Oh, you have no idea._

****

*******

“Back there, you said something about people having bad intentions,” India started innocently. “What did you mean?”

“My sources are still looking into it, but there seems to be an organization of clones.. of you, with footholds across the galaxy.”

India looked at her, a glimmer of fear in her eyes. It was all too easy to play the part Liara needed to see to tell her everything.

“Don’t worry. I have only the best in my employ. You will be safe here.”

 _It’s not me you should be worried about._ India managed another weak smile. “Thank you, Liara.”

Liara nodded and moved into her kitchen area.

“Do you know what they’re trying to do? Are they trying to be… me, whoever I am?”

Liara turned her head to look at India. “That’s most likely their goal, yes. How they hope to accomplish that, with so many of us out there who _know_ you is another question. It’s what I’m trying to figure out now, actually. We have only found one clone, but I know there must be more. I received word this morning that there may, in fact, be one on Illium.”

India’s eyes widened. _Does she know?_ On the chance she didn’t, she continued her act and feigned a look of worry as she stepped closer to Liara, prepared to take her out if necessary. “You really think so?”

“It would make sense to put one close to me, wouldn’t it? I am one of the few who really knows Commander Shepard.”

India moved closer as the asari continued to talk. Her implant was new, but she had been teaching herself how to control it. Of course, she was still no match for a pure biotic asari, so physical proximity was key in overpowering her before Liara could make a move.

_She knows._

“I was one of her closest friends, lived on a ship with her for months. I knew her mentally.”

India took another step.

“And I knew her physical appearance.”

Her clenched her fist, ready to throw all of her energy into a punch to Liara’s jaw.

“She had scars, none of which I see on you.”

India threw all of her energy into her arm, and her fist collided with Liara’s face, knocking her into the counter.

A quick glance told her the asari was bleeding. She wasted no time in jumping on her, fists colliding with bone as she attempted to take down her target.

Liara struggled beneath her, but eventually slowed, which led her to believe she was gaining the upper hand.

“Too bad you won’t get to tell anyone,” India growled, teeth bared as she reached for a nearby knife.

It was that movement that was her undoing.

Liara took the opportunity to throw her onto the floor, and all India saw was a flash of blue before she was floating in the air, unable to pull herself free.

She watched helplessly as the asari stepped across the room, punching something into her omni-tool as she did so.

“Send a cleanup crew, and notify the doctor. I’ll be needing a second opinion regarding an autopsy.”

That was the last thing she heard before the sound of a pistol firing.


	5. Citadel

Sierra’s fist collided with the wall next to her. _Another fucking setback._

She was speaking with Tango, who had informed her of India’s actions.

“I should have been there,” Sierra yelled. “Why didn’t she wait?”

She could see the frustration on Tango’s face at the statement. “She got wreckless, confident. I think she ignored the part about waiting for you before seeking out T’Soni. That, or she didn’t want to wait for you. She had a plan of her own, and it got her killed.”

“Damn it,” Sierra replied. “Now T’Soni knows more than she should.”

“I know. The boss isn’t happy.”

“What now?”

“Change course for the Citadel. We had a clone standing by there just in case something like this happened. They bought the bait and seem to be heading there. You’ll send in your new recruit, the _real_ Shepard, to try and lure them to you. _Do not go in yourself. You’re too valuable._ From what we could intercept as far as communications went, you’ll have the chance to take out more than just T’Soni, Alenko and Lawson if this goes as planned.”

Sierra smiled. It didn’t make up for India’s stupidity, for the fact she’d gotten herself killed, but taking out some of Shepard’s closest associates would get them one step closer to their goal.

She closed communications with Tango and walked through the crew deck of the ship until she was entering the bedroom she’d given to the real Commander Shepard.

***************

Jennifer was sitting at her desk, drawing on a piece of paper without really paying attention, when her door opened and in came Commander Shepard.

“Hi,” she greeted with a smile, glad for the company.

Shepard nodded. “Listen, we have a problem.”

Jennifer’s smile disappeared. She sighed and nodded. “Is everything okay?”

“No. Something’s happened on Illium, and I have been ordered to go directly to the Citadel.”

“What happened?”

“The Shadow Broker killed another clone.”

“Isn’t that a good thing? I thought you said they were trying to take over the galaxy.”

“It should be, but the Shadow Broker has ties to Cerberus. I need to know _why_ she is killing her allies.”

Jennifer looked puzzled. Perhaps the commander was just stressed, but her story didn’t make sense. Originally, she had told her the clones were bad, that they needed to be stopped, but when she had told her of the clone on Omega, Jennifer had sensed that she felt a connection to her, that she knew her.

She sensed that same thing now.

There was something she wasn’t being told, but she had to trust Shepard. This woman had saved her life and was helping her back to full strength, at least physically. Shepard had given her a purpose. She owed it to the woman to hear her out.

“So the clone on Omega…”

“Was a double agent. She was feeding us information. They must have found out and sent the agents after her.”

“What about the one on Illium?”

“My guess is she defied orders and tried to take on the Shadow Broker herself. The reasons don’t matter. That’s two less clones to worry about.”

Jennifer raised an eyebrow. “So you lied to me?”

“No. In the excitement of finding one of you that hadn’t been converted to Cerberus’ cause, I simply forgot a crucial piece of information.”

“Okay,” she answered, satisfied with Shepard’s answer. “What next?”

“This is becoming more complicated than I could have anticipated. I need allies. I need you to go to the Citadel and find my friends while I talk with my commanding officer. I need you to tell them what’s going on and bring them to me if you can.”

“Very well. What should I tell them?”

“Tell them I sent you, if you have to. Tell them that Miranda Lawson and Kaidan Alenko killed the clones I mentioned. Do not mention the Shadow Broker. They won’t trust you if you do.”

***************

Shepard had given her the address to her apartment, where her friends would be most likely to gather, and sent her on her way.

She stepped up to the console near the entrance and pushed the number of the apartment she’d been told to go to. After a few minutes, a bulky, hispanic soldier appeared on the screen in front of hert.

“Who are you, and what do you want?”

“I’m Jennifer,” she answered nervously. “I was told to come here by a mutual friend, that I could find help here.”

Jennifer watched the soldier on the other end mouth something to himself before he spoke. “Look, you look a lot like someone I know, someone _who died_ a long time ago. And you have her name. How can we trust you?”

“I’m a clone,” Jennifer answered honestly. She did not want to deceive these people. Commander Shepard needed their help, and she couldn’t get them to come with her through deceit.

“The last clone we ran into tried to kill us.”

This man was not going to listen to her. For all he knew, she was leading them into a trap. She understood his caution, especially after what she’d heard about the clones on Omega and Illium.

Jennifer had to make him understand.

“I’m not like that. I’m _with_ Commander Shepard. She sent me here because she can’t come herself.”

“Commander Shepard is dead,” James said.

“No, she’s not. She’s just in deep cover because of these clones. _Please_ , she needs your help,” she pleaded.

“I’m going to let you in, but we’re going to make sure you’re unarmed. You make a move, and you’re dead. Fair?”

“Okay,” she answered, a wave of relief washing over her. _He’s giving me a chance. That’s something._

And then the nervousness hit her. _He also threatened to kill me. Or they. He had said we, which meant there are more of them in the apartment._

A minute later, after a short elevator ride, Jennifer was standing just inside the apartment, and the soldier, who had yet to introduce himself, was scanning her for weapons. She couldn’t shake the feeling that there were guns pointed at her. _They’re just being cautious. Give them no reason to harm you, and you’ll be fine._

“Clean,” he said, likely to notify his friends. “Sit down, but try anything, and you’re dead, remember?”

Jennifer nodded, trying to suppress her fear. The last thing she needed was for her nerves to show.

The bulky soldier followed urged her forward, following close behind, and she knew his eyes were on her. He motioned for her to sit on the sofa, and she did. He followed suit, his eyes almost drilling holes into her as he refused to divert his gaze.

“What do you want?” He asked after a beat of silence.

“Help,” she started, swallowing her nervousness after the first word. “Shepard needs your help.”

“With what?”

“Clones. More of me, ones that have her memories. They’re all over the galaxy, trying to secure footholds to take over. They almost succeeded on Omega and Illium. They’re both dead, though.”

“Who killed them?”

“Kaidan Alenko and Miranda Lawson did,” she repeated the names she’d been told by Commander Shepard. To her, they were just names, but she could see from the soldier’s reaction that he knew who they were.

She heard a few muffled gasps from around the room, one of which was very close to where she was sitting. She crossed one leg over the other and pretended she hadn’t heard.

“What does she need from us?”

“Her team, people she can trust.”

The soldier looked as if he was about to speak, but his words were cut off when the door opened and a swarm of men in blue, similar to the soldiers on Shepard’s ship, came running into the open room.

All around her, Jennifer saw various figures coming out of hiding. A krogan, who had his shotgun aimed at her chest, was the most prominent. She hardly noticed the others as she raised her hands into the air, not about to protest and end up with a gaping hole in her chest. The krogan meant business.

She allowed them to secure her in restraints and willingly left the apartment in their custody. Surely she would be able to explain her story to them. They had to know something about what Shepard was doing. Better yet, Shepard would come for her and explain the situation.

The thought of that was forgotten when she looked to her right.

She could see three figures entering the hallway from a window. There was a blue woman. _An asari._ She was standing next to another woman, with long black hair and striking blue eyes.

Jennifer’s eyes widened in confusion. This was the woman from her dream. She would never forget those eyes. She was looking back at her skeptically, as if she didn’t believe what she was seeing.

Next to her was… _him_ , with that same look in his eyes. The one person that had helped her hold onto hope in her captivity. Her baffled expression turned to one of hope when they could no longer see her face.

As she was guided to the elevator, she overheard one of the soldiers speaking with the man as if speaking to a superior officer.

“At ease,” the man said, and his voice was so soothing to her ears. Even with the anger she sensed in him, hearing his voice was calming.

“We’re holding her at C-Sec. I’ll make sure you’re the first to question her,” the soldier said. 

“Thanks, lieutenant. _I’ll_ be by shortly.” 

“There were some Blue Suns by the entrance to the building when we came through,” the woman said, her voice stern yet calm. She had an accent, too. It didn’t spark anything within her as hearing the man’s voice had. “Did you apprehend them?”

“They scattered when they saw us coming, ma’am,” the soldier said.

Her mind was buzzing with everything she had just heard. _Blue Suns? Those were Shepard’s soldiers, standing by in case I needed help. That’s not right…_

Was Shepard lying to her? It would explain why everyone had been so suspicious of her and why Shepard had gotten so upset when Jennifer had mentioned her dreams.

It had to mean something that the two people she had seen were standing right next to one another, working together for an unknown reason.

She only hoped the man in the blue armor would come to see her and help her make sense of her confusion before Shepard was able to get her out of this mess.

***************

A merc whose name she didn’t know stood in front of her, a look of defeat on his face.

“How could you let this happen?” Sierra yelled. “How could you let them take her? If they find out who she really is, we’re done.”

“Sorry, ma’am. There were too many Alliance to fight. I thought it best to get back to you that she was in custody.”

Sierra toyed with the heavy pistol in her grasp, and she could see the soldier tensing up.

“Calm down. I’m not going to kill you.”

He quickly relaxed, and Sierra smiled as she aimed the pistol at his knee and fired. His scream of agony filled her ears.

“Didn’t say I wouldn’t shoot you, though.” She raised her voice to drown out his screams. “Someone take this idiot to the med bay. Get him out of my sight.”

Two mercs entered and carried the injured one away, and she shook her head as she holstered her pistol.

She stormed across the ship to the communications terminal and called Tango. “Listen, I need everyone to report to the Citadel. Shepard’s been arrested, and we need to get her out before they can figure out it’s really her.”

“On it. All available agents will be there in a day at most. I’ll get Echo to hack C-Sec and stall the interview process for a few days.”

***************

Jennifer had been in a holding cell for a day without contact from anyone. The man from her dreams had yet to visit, and she had no idea if Shepard was coming for her or leaving her to rot.

Needless to say, she was horrified.

Her terror only grew when she heard an explosion and subsequent gunshots flooding the hallways outside her cell door.

She moved to the shadows next to the door and waited, praying that whomever was on the other side of the door would ignore her.

Something told her that they were here for her, though, and that she wouldn’t be that lucky. She needed to be ready to fight if it came down to it.

It definitely wasn’t Shepard. She was Alliance. She could have talked her way to getting her out of here.

_It has to be the clones. They want to know what I know about her._

Just as she suspected, after ten minutes, her cell door opened, and an armored figure stepped inside. The person removed their helmet, and she saw a clone on the other end.

Before Jennifer could make a move to attack, the clone turned around and stared at her with an almost bored expression on her face.

“Come on, we’re getting you out of here. Sierra’s orders.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you. Shepard said you clones are the enemy, and who the hell is Sierra?”

The clone laughed. “You really don’t know?”

“I know enough to know you can’t be trusted.”

“I don’t have time for this,” the clone muttered before grabbing Jennifer’s arm and dragging her out of the cell.

“Let go of me,” she pleaded, struggling yet failing to break free of the woman’s grasp.

She was pulled into a lobby area before the clone let her go. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

Jennifer was planning to run for the exit before she heard a gunshot. The clone froze in place, and Commander Shepard appeared as the body fell to the ground.

“I came as soon as I could,” she said. “Let’s get you out of here. The clones are everywhere, but C-Sec and I have it under control.”

Jennifer hesitated, the dead clone’s words echoing in her mind. _You really don’t know?_

“ _Come on_ ,” Shepard called.

Since it was her only option, Jennifer followed.


	6. Eternity

Everything was a blur as Jennifer was led back to Commander Shepard’s ship. The clone’s words resonated in her mind, and the man from her dreams still lingered in her mind’s eye. She was confused. She tried telling herself that the clone could not be trusted, but all of her instincts were telling her that it was, in fact, Commander Shepard who had been less than honest with her.

She didn’t want to believe it. Admitting that the clone had been telling the truth opened a door to Shepard’s lies, one that could never be closed.

_You really don’t know, do you?_ Something in that cold laugh, the glint in the clone’s eyes, told Jennifer that her words hadn’t been a lie.

Jennifer was starting to question everything, down to the possibility that the Commander she so eagerly followed wasn’t who she claimed to be. That in itself worried her. She did her best to keep that from showing.

She had a feeling Shepard wouldn’t be so forgiving once she realized Jennifer was suspicious. For now, she would play along, if only to figure out what her savior was planning.

***************

_She was pinned, arms held above her head, but she didn’t feel trapped. She was content, despite somehow knowing the galaxy going to hell all around her._

_Her captor leaned forward, eyes full of what could only be described as love for her, and he touched his lips to hers. She laughed against them and, though she could have, made no move to free herself from his grasp._

_”Kaidan -,” she started, the words muffled by his mouth on hers. It was a weak protest. It was selfish of her, to steal this moment with him with so much else to worry about, but she also felt as if she would go insane without his touch._

_This man was her anchor, the one keeping her calm in the middle of a hurricane, and, in that moment, she realized she couldn’t picture her life without him._

_”Come on, Jenn. Don’t pull away now,” Kaidan said pleadingly._

_”It’s not that,” Jennifer assured him. “It’s just… I love you, and I wanted you to know that… in case, you know.”_

_He looked as if he were about to protest, but, as if to save the moment, he sighed and replied, “I love you, too.”_

_Before either could say another word, Jennifer pressed her lips back to his and finally freed herself from his grasp, turning them so that she was the one pinning him down._

Jennifer woke with a start, eyes darting around the small room on Commander Shepard’s ship as realization set in. “Kaidan,” she whispered, touching a finger to her lips as the name fell out of her mouth.

She remembered. The man from her dreams, the man she’d seen on the Citadel, it was Kaidan. _Kaidan Alenko._ She remembered telling the group of Shepard’s friends he was behind the death of the clones.

Had that all been a lie? Or was it true?

Something wasn’t right. Jennifer’s gut told her Shepard was lying, or at the very least hiding something. That same something told her Kaidan could give her the answers she so desperately seeked. It seemed he was at the very center of this.

She wouldn’t get answers from Shepard, nor anyone else on this ship. That was one thing she knew for certain.

***************

Three days passed before Jennifer saw Commander Shepard again. She had been confined to her quarters on the pretense of resting after all she’d been through, but Jennifer couldn’t help but suspect they were holding her prisoner. “I feel fine,” she had insisted, but Shepard had been adamant that she not leave her room.

She was left to her thoughts, and they had been eating away at her. Thoughts of Kaidan, of new feelings bubbling within her that hadn’t been there before, of what the clone had said to her on the Citadel.

Jennifer did her best to remain close to the entrance of her room, listening for any signs of conversation that might give her any hints about what was next. On one occasion, she was certain she saw another one of her, a clone, speaking with Shepard, but her door was forced closed before she could be absolutely certain.

Something was not right, but what could she do to stop it? Though Shepard had been working with her, training her, she was weak. There was no escape. She was no match for Shepard, or the countless soldiers on board the ship.

The ship that wasn’t an Alliance ship. The conversation between Kaidan, the raven-haired woman and the _real_ Alliance soldiers had told her that much.

“I need to get off this ship,” she muttered under her breath, a heavy sigh escaping her soon after. But what next? Find Kaidan? To him, she was just another clone, but Jennifer was starting to wonder about that too.

_These have to be more than dreams. It seemed real, like a memory. I feel.. something for him. Love? I don’t know. It can’t be. I don’t even know him, do I? Then again, Shepard could have been lying about that, to keep me here, right where she wants me. But for what purpose?_

Before her thoughts could go any further, the door opened, and Commander Shepard entered.

”So, how do you feel about getting off of this ship?”

Jennifer perked up, playing along (though her curiosity was peaked), and her eyebrow raised.

“I have a job for you.”

“What do you need?” she replied, her gaze meeting the commander’s.

“We have a lead on the Shadow Broker. A hotel on Illium. Eternity.”

Jennifer nodded.

“The owner, Kiren Arneon, has come up in a lot of our surveillance. We think he’s been tasked with taking me out, so we need to act first, before the Shadow Broker realizes we’re onto him.”

“What do you need me to do?”

“I need you kill him..”

“Okay,” Jennifer said, and the way Shepard looked at her told her maybe she’d accepted a little too quickly. “Anything I can do to help. If he’s after you, we have to stop him. You saved my life. The least I can do is return the favor.”

Her statement seemed to calm the woman, who firmly nodded her head. “Glad you’re on my side.”

Jennifer nodded but didn’t speak, as if to silently ask for more information.

“We’re going to alter your appearance somewhat, nothing surgical. A wig, some makeup, and maybe you’ll be a little harder to spot. I’m not exactly an unknown,” she said with a friendly sort of laugh, one that Jennifer could tell was fake. “And if they’re after me, they’ll know what to look for. Not to mention, we don’t need another Citadel incident.”

“I’ve always wanted to be a blond,” Jennifer said with the same fake laugh. “At least, I think so.”

As “Shepard” walked away, Jennifer’s eyes turned to the ground.

_This woman cannot be trusted. I may not know who I am, but I know she isn’t Commander Shepard._

***************

A week passed before the ship reached Illium. Jennifer was allowed out of her quarters for the purpose of training. She didn’t see Shepard for any of those seven days; instead, she trained with a program. As easily as combat came to her, she hoped she wouldn’t have to do much fighting. Shepard had a plan. _Get in, get close to Arneon, and slide your omni-blade in his back._ On paper, it seemed simple, but Jennifer did not trust Shepard. For all she knew, it could be a trap, a way to tie up a loose end.

Despite that, it was the only option and her only way off this ship.

Could she escape if given the opportunity? Her knowledge of the galaxy was limited, but she could find help, explain her situation. Perhaps if she could get to Kaidan, she could get the answers she was looking for.

Then again, Shepard seemed to be fearful of the Shadow Broker. If her intentions were ill, perhaps the Shadow Broker wasn’t as bad as Shepard was making him out to be. She could go along with the plan until she confronted Arneon, and then ask for help. It was the most logical plan. It would also get her to Kaidan, since Shepard seemed adamant that he was helping the Shadow Broker.

Shepard came to her moments after the ship docked, a form-fitting, mid-length black dress in hand. “Here, wear this,” she greeted. The dress looked familiar to Jennifer, but she couldn’t pinpoint where she knew it from.

“To blend in?” Jennifer asked, eyes wide. “Or stand out?”

“A bit of both. Rumor is Arneon has a thing for human females.”

Jennifer nodded.

***************

As evening came, Jennifer made her way to Eternity, feeling very awkward in the dress she was wearing, though she did her best not to let it show. She needed to exude confidence to get Arneon’s attention.

The blond hair from her wig flowed down below her shoulders, and her face had been covered in thick makeup. Her eyes had been turned brown by colored lenses, and the blue eye shadow seemed to accent them perfectly. 

Jennifer had taken one look in a mirror and felt like a completely different person. Even she did not recognize herself. Hopefully no one else would be able to either.

She stumbled, nearly losing her balance in the high heels she was wearing, but she caught herself. _Slow and steady, but not too slow. You can do this,_ she told herself.

The loud music filled her ears even before she reached the bar of Eternity. Lights flashed around her as she moved through the mass of dancing customers. She stepped up to the bar and ordered a glass of asari honey mead, the special of the evening.

Drink in hand, she began to survey the room for Arneon, the salarian owner. “There,” she mumbled as her eyes landed on her target, in the VIP lounge. “Now to get there.”

“It’s not going to be easy,” a voice said, and a hooded woman appeared as she uncloaked in front of Jennifer, who jumped slightly in her seat.

“Excuse me?” she said, trying to act casual.

“Armed guards, there and there,” the woman said in a giddy sort of voice, as she pointed to either side of Arneon. It was almost as if this was a game to her.

“Who are you?” was the only question Jennifer could manage.

“Kasumi,” the woman answered. “I’m planning a heist. Maybe if we work together.. we can get what we want.”

Jennifer was unsure if this woman could be trusted, but something about the name, about the woman’s facial features (at least what she could see) seemed familiar. Her gut was telling her to trust her, to tell her everything, but she needed to be careful.

“What is it that you think I want?”

“To get to Kiren Arneon.”

Jennifer nodded.

“Meet me in the bathroom,” Kasumi said cheerfully before disappearing once more.

With no other option, Jennifer left her drink and moved to the bathroom. A breeze - no, not a breeze - hit her shoulder as she walked, and she sensed someone walking closely beside of her. _Kasumi,_ she thought.

When she reached the empty bathroom, she felt a hand tugging at her wig, and she soon sensed it fall from her shoulders.

“A clone,” Kasumi said, as her cloak came undone again.

“It’s not what you think,” Jennifer quickly said, turning around to face the woman, who had again disappeared.

Kasumi’s disembodied voice moved around the room as she spoke. “You’re after the Shadow Broker, aren’t you?”

“For help. The woman, Shepard, I’m working for, something’s not right. She told me she was Commander Shepard, but she isn’t making any sense. Her ship isn’t Alliance, nor are the crew members. I found that out on the Citadel. I think she’s trying to kill Shepard’s friends.”

“Wait,” Kasumi said, coming uncloaked in front of her. “You were the one who came to Kaidan’s apartment?”

Jennifer nodded. “You were there? You know Kaidan?”

“Yes,” she answered as she circled Jennifer curiously.

“Will you help me?”

“I’ll think abo -,” Kasumi’s words stopped mid-sentence, and Jennifer turned around quickly.

“What is it?”

“That tattoo, on your back. None of the other clones had it.”

“What tattoo?”

“It’s been covered with makeup, but I can see it. It looks like this,” she said, as she raised her sleeve to reveal a rose on her wrist. “Shep and I got them after she helped me on Bekenstein. No one knew.”

Jennifer raised an eyebrow. “Then how…”

“I don’t know, but I have a good idea. What’s your name?”

“They’ve been calling me Jennifer.”

Kasumi smiled. “Come with me, Jennifer.”


	7. Severance

Jennifer followed Kasumi without another word. She was uncertain what the hooded woman’s motives were, but her options were limited. The one thing she knew was that anything was better than going back to that ship. Her gut instinct was telling her that Kasumi could be trusted, though she couldn’t quite figure out why.

The woman was familiar to her, and they had matching tattoos. Apparently. _Am I Shepard?_

As if she had read Jennifer’s mind, Kasumi spoke. “I’m taking you to someone who can help us figure this out.”

“Who?”

“His name is Feron. He works closely with Lia - the Shadow Broker.”

Jennifer took note of Kasumi’s near slip-up. “So the Shadow Broker is an ally?”

“Yes, definitely. _She_ is a good friend of Shepard’s. The real Shepard would never go after her.”

_At least something is making sense,_ Jennifer thought with a laugh, which seemingly came out of nowhere.

“Clearing things up for you?” Kasumi asked, again reading Jennifer’s mind, and Jennifer nodded in response.

“A little bit. I woke up, and the only thing I could remember was Kaidan - not everything, just brief flashes. I saw him on the Citadel, and something came back. I’ve seen him and a woman with long, black hair.”

“The cheerleader. I mean, Miranda.”

“Miranda Lawson?”

“You’ve heard the name?”

“Yeah. Shepard - erm, the clone, said she and Kaidan killed two clones. She tried to make up some story about how they were working for her, but it didn’t make any sense, now that I think about it.”

“Makes sense you’d remember them first, if you are Shepard. Do you remember anything else?”

“No,” she said. “Nothing. Well, except for… dying, I think?”

“They never found a body, you know,” Kasumi said cheerfully as they ascended the stairs to the VIP area.

A drell turned to greet them as they arrived. “Kasumi?” he questioned.

“This one’s different,” Kasumi replied. “She has a tattoo, a badly hidden one.”

Feron nodded. “That’s… new. I need to notify her immediately.”

“Let’s be sure first,” answered Kasumi. “We don’t need to get their hopes up.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“Footage, of Shepard. See if it sparks her memory.”

“What footage?”

Though Jennifer could not see her face, she could tell Kasumi had raised an eyebrow at Feron.

“Right. Of course you know.”

“Best thief in the galaxy,” Kasumi chirped.

Jennifer laughed at the thief’s remark, and a sense of familiarity overwhelmed her.

She remembered.

_Jennifer looked down. Her clothing matched what she had been wearing on Eternity. A dress, heels. She was in a vault, standing next to a statue. Turian. Saren._

_”Ready, Shep?” Kasumi said as she uncloaked herself._

_”Ready to get out of this dress,” was her easy answer as she touched a hidden button at the base of the statue. Her black N7 armor came into view._

_She smiled. “Let’s get that greybox._

Jennifer took a breath, which caused both Kasumi and Feron to look at her curiously.

“Greybox…” was all she could say, and Kasumi perked up.

“Did you remember something?”

“I was in a vault, you were there. You mentioned Bekenstein. Is that what I -” Jennifer paused to correct herself. “Shepard helped you with?”

Kasumi nodded.

“I see what you mean,” Feron mused as a hand lifted to touch his chin. “This one is different.” He turned his attention to Jennifer. “The others have enough knowledge of you to try and pass as you, but you, you have no memory of anything. What were you sent here to do?”

“Kill him,” she said, pointing across the room at Arneon. “Look pretty, get his attention.”

“He was a decoy, a cover for me. He has no knowledge of the Shadow Broker. Good to know they took the bait.”

“You’re in communication with the clone, right?” Kasumi asked.

“Yes, but I haven’t made contact since I left the ship,” was Jennifer’s response. _She’s probably getting anxious._

“Good,” Feron replied. “My guess is she’ll have been watching the vid feeds. She’ll have seen Kasumi and think you’re being taken captive. Will she try and rescue you?”

“I believe so,” Jennifer answered. “She did on the Citadel. An army of clones attacked, probably her clones. One of them mentioned someone named Sierra.”

“The clones use code names to prevent confusion. I’m surprised they didn’t give you one,” Feron answered. 

“I think the one that found me is Sierra.”

“We’ll find out shortly, if you’re right about her,” Kasumi answered before her cloak went up. “I’m going back down to keep an eye on things. Will ping if I spot her.”

“What about me?” Jennifer asked.

“We’re going to tie you up, make it look real. Are you okay with that?” Feron replied casually as he crossed the space between them. When Jennifer nodded, he revealed rope. Before she could ask where it came from, he motioned for her to turn around. She obliged.

When the rope was secured, he guided her to sit beside Arneon.

“Now we wait,” Feron said before taking to the shadows once more. As he moved out of her sight, Jennifer heard Feron whisper, “Get the agents into position.”

***************

“I hacked into the vid feeds,” Tango started, pacing in front of the vid screen. “Kasumi Goto found her, lured her away. I couldn’t get a good enough view to read lips, but they made her, that much I’m certain of.”

“Damn it,” Sierra groaned on the other end of the call. “What are my orders?”

“Go and rescue her. If we lose Shepard, we’re done. The plan won’t work.”

“Right. Solo, or do I at least get backup?”

“You’re on your own. The boss says you have a lot to make up for. This is the second time you’ve lost her, Sierra.”

“Of course,” Sierra said on the other end, and the woman appeared visibly irritated. “Sierra out.”

“Wait,” Tango called. The woman on the other end hesitated. “Be careful, please. I can’t lose you.”

“I know,” Sierra replied, facial expression softening for a brief moment before she disconnected.

Tango moved away from the screen and let out a sigh. _This is a suicide mission. It’s almost as if the boss wants them to get Shepard._ She slumped down into her desk chair. _If anyone can survive this, it’s Sierra. She’s the best soldier out of the bunch._

***************

Sierra headed immediately to the armory. She removed her fatigues and slipped into a black and white catsuit - Miranda Lawson’s, in fact, recovered from Omega. Her feet were unsteady as she stepped into the boots that accompanied the outfit, but she caught herself quickly.

“It’s just nerves,” she muttered, tone full of anger at the thought of taking this on alone. “I mean, it’s not like the boss is sending me to die or anything. Really, Alpha, sacrificing me, and Shepard, because I fucked up. What sense does that make?”

Sierra shook her head. “No, he trusts me. I can do this. I can get her back. I won’t fail like India or November. I’m the best out of all of us. I’m Commander Shepard,” she told herself, voice low, as she slipped a pistol onto her hip and placed spare clips into a bag secured around her waist.

“I can do this,” she repeated as she slipped a black wig on top of her red hair. She gave herself one quick glance over before leaving the room and gliding toward the exit of the ship. All signs of nervousness were gone as she nodded at the various mercs at their posts.

The fact that none of them met her eye as she walked gave her an added boost of confidence. “I can do this,” she repeated one last time before she reached her executive officer. “You have the deck,” she mouthed to the woman before leaving the ship. “If I’m not back in an hour, come after me.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the woman answered, but Sierra was already halfway to the airlock.

***************

Eternity was all but deserted. Only the agents Feron had mentioned remained, scattered across the club waiting for their opportunity to strike. If Sierra took the bait, she’d be walking right into a trap. _Good,_ Jennifer thought. _I want answers._

Jennifer sat in silence next to the salarian bar owner, a mixture of feelings taking her over. She couldn’t help but wonder if she had made a mistake by trusting Kasumi, as much as her instincts were telling her that she was her friend. It didn’t help that Arneon lived up to his reputation and had been making crude remarks at her for the past half hour. She almost preferred captivity on Sierra’s ship. _Almost._

Just as Kasumi had promised, a ping noise on Feron’s omni-tool notified them that the clone had taken the bait.

“Arneon, distract her,” Feron whispered.

“Clone,” the salarian said, the strength in his voice surprising given his earlier remarks. “I have your friend. Surrender, and we won’t kill her.”

“Ha,” a familiar voice barked from below, the sound coming closer as she walked toward Arneon. “What do I care? It’s just a _clone_. Do you really think we’d send the real Shepard on a mission like this?”

“We’re about to find out,” Kasumi chimed in before the sound of an electrical current could be heard. The thump of a body hitting the ground told Jennifer that the clone had been knocked unconscious. A wave of relief washed over her, knowing that her instincts had been right.

She watched from the sofa as two turians carried her into the room and as they tied her to a chair in the center of the room. Feron gave Arneon an earpiece and told the salarian to repeat his every word. The salarian nodded nervously before turning to Jennifer and winking. Her first instinct was to roll her eyes, but she refrained and instead smiled curtly at the man.

Feron disappeared from the room once more, but Jennifer suspected he wasn’t far away. One of the turians remained beside Arneon, a knife in his hand. The other brought a glass of water over and threw it on Sierra’s face. The woman came to with a loud gasp.

“What the hell?” she screamed.

“Calm down,” Arneon said, obviously repeating Feron’s words. “We have a few questions. If you answer them now, it won’t be painful. If not, you will die very slowly.”

Sierra spit at the salarian. “Bring it on, Arneon. I’m not afraid of you, or your boss.”

“Oh, but you will be,” he said in a strangely friendly tone. Jennifer could see the flicker of surprise on Sierra’s face.

Sierra turned her attention to Jennifer. “What did you tell them? Are you okay?”

Jennifer nodded weakly. “Y - yes,” she answered, feigning fear. “I’m fine. I don’t know anything to tell them. I’m sorry, Shepard. I failed you.”

Sierra’s satisfaction with her answer was cut short when the turian cut into her face. She did her best not to scream. “I won’t tell you bastards anything,” she said, the pain evident in her tone. “Kill me and get it over with.”

“No, not yet, I think,” Arneon replied. “Who do you work for?”

“Myself, you bastard,” she spat, and Arneon replied with a nod, to which the turian punched her in the jaw.

“That all you got?” she hissed.

“Hardly. Shall I call for Ms. Goto?”

“By all means, weakling. Can’t even torture me yourself. Typical salarian.”

Arneon grabbed the knife from the turian and slid it along Sierra’s arm. The woman grimaced as the blade cut through her thin suit. “And where did you get this?” Arneon asked. “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I suppose. Ms. Lawson would be touched.”

“Fuck you,” Sierra spat.

“Oh, you’re not my type,” Arneon cooed. “Again, who do you work for?”

“I won’t tell you a thing.”

Arneon traced the knife along Sierra’s shoulder and moved it along her neck before it reached the base of her red hair. Jennifer could see the knife prick Sierra’s neck, and a slow stream of red followed. “Come on, salarian. You’re going to have to do better than that.”

The salarian moved behind Sierra and leaned forward. He whispered something to her ear before grabbing one of her bound hands. He held it firmly with one hand while the knife began to slide along her left index finger. Sierra groaned. “Tell me what I want to know, and I’ll stop,” he said, as the knife began to cut into the flesh. “This knife will take a very long time to cut through bone, but it is possible.” Sierra resisted, and Arneon continued, and the clone’s cries grew louder as the knife continued its back and forth pattern.

The exchange went on for an hour before Sierra said a word. “Alpha,” she panted, obviously exhausted from resisting.

“What’s that, dear?” Arneon stopped the movement of the knife and focused on Sierra.

“His name is Alpha. That’s all I know. I’ve never seen him. Another clone, Tango, interacts with him. He might be former Cerberus, fuck if I know. I take orders, he makes them. That’s all I know.”

“What is your mission?”  
“To kill Shepard’s friends. I was supposed to become her, to weave my way into the Alliance. That’s all I know, I swear.”

“Very well,” Arneon said before turning to the turian. “Get rid of her.”

“No!” Jennifer shouted, unsure of why she was defending the alone. _She saved my life. I owe her this much._

“Excuse me? What position are you in to make requests?” Arneon hissed.

“She could be useful,” Jennifer said quickly. “Do you have… memory loss drugs? You could plant a tracker on her, make her forget this all ever happened. We can make her think I’m dead, and she can go back to her boss. We can follow her.”

“You bitch,” Sierra hissed. “I knew you’d figure it out eventually.”

“Figure what out?” Jennifer asked.

“That you’re the real Commander Shepard, or are you that stupid? What better way to destroy your world than by having you do it for us?” Sierra laughed coldly.

The room was silent for a moment before Arneon spoke once more. “Good thinking. Kasumi, take care of this, please.”

“I love this part,” Kasumi commented gleefully as she uncloaked in time to push a needle into Sierra’s neck. The clone clumped unconscious, and the turian guards untied her before carrying her out of the room.

“She’ll get back to her ship in one piece, Shep,” Kasumi said, directing her attention before Jennifer. “Can I call you Shep?”

“Is that what you normally call her - I mean, me?” Jennifer asked, the confusion evident on her features.

“Yes, it is.”

“Then, yes. What’s next, Kasumi?”

“We stage your death, and then I help you remember who you are.”


End file.
